Imprimir Republish

Biotechnology

The controversy over transgenics

In the current context of the introduction of transgenics into the Brazilian food chain researchers Ariadne Chloë Furnival and Sônia Maria Pinheiro, from the Federal University of São Carlos, have carried out a study entitled “The public perception of the information about the potential risks of transgenics in the food chain”. The research used the qualitative method of focus groups for collecting the interpretations of the consumer public with regard to the information available about this biotechnological innovation. Use of this method allowed results to be generated that revealed the relationships constructed by those taking part in the survey between this type of biotechnology, environmental changes and the production of food in general. The results point particularly to the way in which participants identified the lack of understandable information, both in the mass media as well as on labels, as the main source of their mistrust with regard to genetically modified products.

History, Science, Health-Manguinhos – v. 15 – nº 2 – Rio de Janeiro – April/June 2008

Republish